1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to wall plates for electrical wiring, and more specifically, to a plate including an opening for the passage of wires or conduit. The plate is capable of being separated, then reconnected and securely interlocked at its center to allow for oversized connectors and fittings to be passed therethrough. The plate is secured to standard gem boxes and includes extender sections to increase the size of the opening.
2. Description of Related Art
Wall plates to cover electrical devices mounted in gem boxes are well known in the art. Wall box mounted devices such as switches and receptacles are commonly provided with a wall plate serving both as a decorative cover for the device and to prevent access to the areas which contain the electrical wiring. Such wall plates are usually mounted upon the device by one or more screws passing through openings in the plate and received in a threaded aperture in the device. In some installations, two or more devices are mounted in side-by-side relation with a corresponding wall plate for each device.
Other types of wall plates include plates that can be interlocked at their sides to provide for interchangeable wall panel assemblies for each configuration of electrical devices in any number of ganged gem boxes. Each wall plate includes specific openings to accommodate various electrical device apertures. However, there exists a need for a plate that allows for the aperture to be split then reconnected, to allow for varying size wires and connectors to pass therethrough. Furthermore, there exists a need for the connected plate to withstand the pulling forces of wires and connectors that would otherwise separate the connected plate.